The Bellevue Hotel
Though its name has been changed many times, this building will always be "the Bellevue" to Philadelphians. The hotel has had an important role in city life, much like the heroine of a long-running soap opera. The epitome of the opulent hotels characteristic of the early 1900s, the Bellevue Stratford was the city's leading hotel for decades. It closed in 1976 after the first outbreak of Legionnaires' disease, which spread through the building's air-conditioning system during an American Legion convention. In late 2024, the hotel reopened after a major renovation, which restored many of its historic elements. It's worthwhile to stop into the lobby to see why people call the Bellevue "the grand dame of Broad Street."
